PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The University of Maine at Presque Isle kicked off construction of its new Teaching and Research Greenhouse on Thursday with a ceremony that featured faculty, local agricultural leaders and individuals who made financial contributions to the project.
Over 60 people gathered outside UMPI’s Gentile Hall for the official groundbreaking of the greenhouse, which local contractor PNM Construction will complete this fall. The 2,400-square-foot facility will sit adjacent to Gentile Hall and include two climate-controlled areas for research studies, LED grow light systems, and water and ventilation systems.
Jason Johnston, dean of UMPI’s college of arts and sciences and associate professor of wildlife ecology, noted that the greenhouse will play a crucial role in the university’s new agricultural science and agribusiness program.
Students will conduct research on topics such as existing crops in Aroostook County, potential new crops, and disease and pest management. They also will take courses on plant and soil science, among other subjects. The greenhouse will also host professional development workshops and training sessions, local 4-H and Future Farmers of America visits, and special activities for area K-12 students.
UMPI’s agricultural programs have been in development over the past six years. The university established a sustainable agriculture concentration in 2014 and formally launched the bachelor of science in agricultural science and agribusiness degree last fall, enrolling eight new students.
Former UMPI President Don Zillman speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the university’s new Teaching and Research Greenhouse on Thursday, April 25. Don and Linda Zillman were the initial donors for the greenhouse project.
(Staff photo/Melissa Lizotte)
“We look forward to welcoming more students and seeing them take advantage of research opportunities in the greenhouse and internships with local agricultural businesses,” Johnston said. “They will be able to participate in one of the most important sectors of our local economy.”
Much of the cost of the $935,000 greenhouse has been funded through individual and business donations, including the Maine Potato Board, Farm Credit East, McCain Foods and MMG Insurance, as well as grants from the Maine Economic Improvement Fund and Maine Community Foundation.
In October 2018, Mary Akeley Smith donated $1 million to the agriculture program in honor of her late father, Robert Vinton Akeley, who was a respected potato breeder in Aroostook County. The gift allowed UMPI to establish their first endowed faculty chair — the Dr. Robert Vinton Akeley Chair of Agricultural Science and Agribusiness — a permanent faculty position that the university will fill in the coming months.
Former UMPI president Don Zillman and his wife Linda were early donors to the greenhouse project. During Thursday’s ceremony, Don Zillman praised UMPI for officially beginning an agricultural program that can serve both students and the local community.
“This greenhouse is an example of the agricultural and business communities coming together for an industry that is the core of Aroostook County,” he said. “I hope that students can come here, have marvelous experiences and realize the career opportunities they have.”
UMPI agriculture student Cody Theriault is set to graduate in May and plans to use his degree to continue working on his family’s farm in St. Agatha. Although he will not utilize the greenhouse as a student, Theriault is looking forward to possibly visiting to assist with future research and, most of all, becoming the 7th generation of his family to farm in Aroostook County.
“The research I’ve been able to do at UMPI is more than I ever thought I’d complete in four years of college,” Theriault said. “I was able to conduct research with the Maine Potato Board on bacterial diseases that affect potatoes in storage and gain better knowledge on the science behind plants and soil.”
To mark the completion of the greenhouse, UMPI will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony during its annual Homecoming Weekend at the end of September.
